Stupidity in Buddhism is adhering to an intellectual answer about enlightenment which suggests that the limitations of the intellect are not well understood if at all. But even worse is adhering to the intellect convinced that there is no real enlightenment beyond intellectual knowledge.
To adhere to an intellectual answer concerning Buddhism or to use the intellect to gain wisdom (prajñā) is to adhere to a certain kind of intellectualism which is the belief that knowledge is derived from discursive reason. But discursive reason is only open or identified with a certain level of reality which is relative to the empirical self which attends to sense-perception looking outward upon a conditioned world.
However, there is a higher non-discursive reality, but owing to the imperfect operations of discursive reason, which is connected with the empirical self, this self has no interest or preference for such a higher reality. It is like a child who could not care less about the words of the Buddha who, instead, takes great delight in playing with a toy it finds.
This present culture panders to the empirical self which employs discursive reason. Those who use this kind of reason best are our anointed experts. They pour out histories, elaborate philosophies, and ideologies, build logical edifices, etc., all of which are part of the intellectualism just mentioned. But I dare say not one has managed to go deeper and look to the very sources of their thoughts and concepts which swirl around in their heads. If they decide to, they are met with something like an impenetrable nothingness that they cannot enter. All they actually know is what they observe continually arising from it which is never other than conditioned.
This is where I stop today’s blog. It is also the place where Buddhism actually begins. It’s a journey in which we have to turn around and face this seemingly impenetrable void.
Comments